IL Magazine: Discover the Best Retirement Haven + 24 More SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 35% about subscribing to International Living Magazine Healthcare is one of the most important factors potential expats consider before moving abroad and often one of the hardest to plan for in the U.S.
Anyone looking to retire overseas is concerned with the quality of the healthcare that will be on offer in their new overseas country. How can I gauge the calibre of the healthcare I could receive? Is it possible to get medical treatment as good as what’s available in the U.S. and Canada? The answer…a resounding yes. Sometimes it’s even better than what’s on offer at home, and at a more affordable price too.
Measuring the quality of healthcare is difficult, and it’s hard to put a number on it. We can, however, put a number on the price of medical procedures, the range of medical facilities and their world rankings.
In fact, many of the countries we speak about are leaders in the medical field, scoring high in the World Health Organisations ranking of healthcare systems. France, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica are just some of our favorite overseas retirement havens that score higher than both Canada and the U.S.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The United Nations has also ranked Costa Rica’s public health system within the top 20 worldwide and the number one in Latin America.
From dental work, to joint reconstruction, to regular doctor’s visits, healthcare abroad doesn’t have to be a pain. With low barriers to entry, ease of use and flexibility, it’s no small wonder more people are turning their backs on the high healthcare costs in the U.S. for more accessible healthcare abroad.
Discover where to find the best quality, most affordable healthcare in the world from our expert expats, who share their overseas healthcare experiences. Our extensive library of articles below will give you new ideas about places where healthcare is both affordable and high quality.
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For most folks looking to move abroad, healthcare is a huge consideration. You want care at least as good as what you get at home…but preferably without that U.S.-sized price tag. But how can you judge which doctors and hospitals are good in another country?
Each morning Tennessee natives Bobby and Becca Vines are greeted by views of two stunning volcanoes. Small-town life in Cotacachi, Ecuador, is never dull, and the couple spends their days viewing international films, enjoying live music, and visiting with the locals.
Uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act has led Americans around the country to stock up on medications they fear they won’t be able to afford, should they lose their health insurance in a repeal of the ACA.
My wife, Suzan Haskins, and I were married in Costa Rica 14 years ago and have been back for business and pleasure almost every year since. We also lived in Panama in 2006 and, like Costa Rica, have returned nearly every year for International Living events, editorial trips, and vacations. So it is inevitable that...
For three days now, I've been telling you that in Ecuador, you can have it all...but at what price? What must you give up to make a good life here? International Living is, at times, accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses...of overlooking the bad and omitting the blemishes. If you've been here in Quito the past few days, I doubt you'd agree with that.
It wasn’t the practical reasons, like lower cost of living, great—and cheap—medical care, and friendly people, that convinced Dave Scott to move to San Ramón, a town on the western edge of Costa Rica’s Central Valley region. Though the country has all those advantages and more, and while those were factors in the decision, it was something else that drew him. “It was like an invisible string around my neck pulling me here,” says Dave. “It’s more of a heart thing than a head thing. It’s hard to explain. It was just the feeling I had.”
Healthcare is a concern for most expats thinking about moving abroad. As I get older, I’m aware that at some point I will need good healthcare. When I was looking into moving to Panama, I wanted to make sure that the country could provide me with quality healthcare I could rely on for any healthcare concern or issue that may arise.
Anyone who lives here in Panama knows that the Panamanian people are exceptionally kind, caring, and helpful…and that their healthcare system is inexpensive and efficient.
Part of the reason my wife and I chose to begin our Costa Rican adventure in the Central Valley town of Grecia was its proximity to San José and the airport, as well as the beautiful scenery and temperate climate.
A recent survey reported that a single day in a hospital in the U.S. costs, on average, $1,514 (up to as much as $12,537), while in France it costs $853. An appendectomy in the U.S. costs $8,156 on average (up to as much as $29,426). The same procedure in France costs $4,463.